EU ready to give UK more guarantees Irish backstop is temporary March 2, 2019 The European Union is prepared to offer more guarantees to the UK that the Irish border backstop is only intended to be temporary with less than two weeks until parliament vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's deal. The bloc's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has labelled the backstop as an "insurance" but has moved to [...]
Parliament gets Brexit votes: Pound hits $1.33, FTSE 100 comes off 7,200 March 1, 2019 | City Talk Just as it seemed Theresa May was on track to appease the hard-line Brexiters in her party, it’s now the Remainers causing problems. Last week three MPs, Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and Heidi Allen, quit to join the new Independent Party formed by eight breakaway Labour MPs a few days before. More Conservatives have threatened [...]
US lays out demands for free trade deal with UK, raising concerns over food regulations March 1, 2019 The United States has taken a hard line on post-Brexit trade talks with the UK, demanding greater access to British markets where products such as chlorinated chicken are currently banned by the EU. In its negotiating objectives for a future free trade deal, the US Trade Representative’s office (USTR) said it would try to reduce [...]
London startup numbers rise in face of Brexit uncertainty March 1, 2019 The number of new startups created each year in London is higher now than it was before the EU referendum, according to public data. While 205,325 new businesses started life in 2016, the year of the Brexit vote, entrepreneurs founded 216,204 companies last year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data reveals. Read more: The [...]
DEBATE: Should 18-year-olds be entitled to an extra year of free education after school, as the CBI suggests? March 1, 2019 Should 18-year-olds be entitled to an extra year of free education after school, as the CBI suggests? Matthew Fell, chief UK policy director at the CBI, says YES. As the world of work changes, people need to learn throughout their careers. The best companies help their people evolve through education. Colleges serve firms brilliantly, with tailored [...]
The NHS needs to act more like WeWork March 1, 2019 A&E waiting times are at their worst level for 15 years. In 2018, more junior doctors left the NHS than stayed. Doctors and nurses are facing untold pressures, with things set to get worse as European recruits dry up ahead of Brexit. The health service is facing a critical staffing crisis which could prove fatal. [...]
Mayor of London warns Londoners they may feel impact of no-deal Brexit ‘immediately’ March 1, 2019 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is set to host a meeting today to discuss the ramifications of a no-deal Brexit on Londoners, warning that it could affect supply of food medicine, health services and crucial services. Read more: Sadiq Khan asks for £5bn grant to protect housing in no-deal Brexit Khan is worried that leaving [...]
Rightmove shares slump despite strong results March 1, 2019 Shares in property website Rightmove fell this morning despite the company reporting an increase in revenue and profits. Rightmove’s share price dipped 5.6 per cent to 455p today as the firm announced its full-year results for 2018. Read more: London house sales drop over political uncertainty The figures Underlying operating profit was up 10 per [...]
British manufacturing job losses hit six-year high amid Brexit turmoil March 1, 2019 Job losses in Britain’s manufacturing sector hit a six-year high in February, as Brexit uncertainty left the industry’s optimism at a record low, according to a closely followed metric. British manufacturers also continued stockpiling goods at record rates as the prospect of crashing out of the EU without a deal looms ever larger, according to [...]
National Express increases shareholder dividend by 10 per cent in ‘record’ set of results February 28, 2019 National Express shareholders were today rewarded with a 10 per cent increase in their dividend as the coach and bus firm delivered a "record" set of annual results. Pre-tax profits at the firm stood at £177.7m in 2018, up 13.6 per cent on the previous year. Revenue also increased from £2.32bn to £2.45bn, while operating [...]